Farmers to perform yoga on highways on International Yoga Day

GUWAHATI, MAY, 30 (UNI):- Farmers harvesting rice at a paddy field at Balijuri in Nagaon district of Assam on Monday. UNI PHOTO-25U

New Delhi: Farmers will protest by performing yoga exercises on highways on International Yoga Day on June 21, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) announced here on Thursday.

The decision was announced during a `Kisan Panchayat` held by BKU at Jantar Mantar here, in which thousands of farmers from various parts of the country participated.

“Farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Uttarakhand will perform yoga on highways from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on June 21,” Rakesh Tikayat, spokesperson of BKU, said.

Tikayat said that they want farmers` loans to be waived off and the Swaminathan Committee report, which promises 50 per cent profit for farmers, to be implemented.

“A new committee should be formed to look into farmers` problems and to find practical solutions,” he added.

The protest started around 11 a.m. and leaders, including Atul Kumar Anjan of the Communist Party of India, Yogendra Yadav of Swaraj Abhiyan, and Swami Agnivesh of Bandhua Mukti Morcha, took part in the protest and extended their support to the farmers.

Yadav told IANS that there are a series of farmers` protests happening across the country at the moment and Swaraj Abhiyan is also fighting for the farmers.